Device for winding and unwinding a tape carrier

ABSTRACT

A device for winding and unwinding a tape carrier is intended for automatically engaging and releasing the leader, or loop of the tape carrier, and also for winding and unwinding the same, and, in case the tape carrier forms an endless loop, for bifilar winding and unwinding, with automatic rewinding of the tape carrier directly in the course of information reading. The device is used in cases when various information tape carriers, such as film copies, magnetic films and punched paper tape, are required to be conveyed through the readout unit, making specific steps such as fixing the tape carrier in the reel core and rewinding the tape carrier unnecessary. The device comprises a tape-moving means, a drive means and two reels having cores and rims, the core of at least one of the reels being adapted to open and close depending on the direction of reel rotation, thereby ensuring automatic engagement or release of the leader or the tape carrier loop.

. [22] Filed:

United States Patent [191 Tarasenko et al.

[ DEVICE FOR WINDING AND UNWINDING A TAPE CARRIER Nov. 10, 1971 [21] App]. N0.: 197,310

[52] CI 242/5516, 242/74.l, 352/128 [51] Int. Cl.. B65h 17/06, B65h 65/00, G03b 21/32 [58] Field of Search ..242/55.l9 A, 55.17, 74.1,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,592,402 7/1971 Westberg 242/5516 1 Feb. 26, 1974 3,648,945 3/1972 Urneda 242/742 3,072,355 1/1963 Faulkner et a1 r 242/74.l 2,542,l86 2/l951 Fulop 242/74.l

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 871,419 6/1961 Great Britain 242/741 Primary Examiner--Billy S. Taylor Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Holman & Stern [5 7 ABSTRACT A device for winding and unwinding a tape carrier is intended for automatically engaging and releasing the leader, or loop of the tape carrier, and also for winding and unwinding the same, and, in case the tape carrier forms an endless loop, for bifilar winding and unwinding, with automatic rewinding of the tape carrier directly in the course of information reading. The device is used in cases when various information tape carriers, such as film copies, magnetic films and punched papertape, are required to be conveyed through the readout unit, making specific steps such as fixing the tape carrier in the reel core and rewinding the tape carrier unnecessary. The device comprises a tape-moving means, a drive means and two reels having cores and rims, the core of at least one of the reels being adapted to open and close depending on the direction of reel rotation, thereby ensuring automatic engagement or release of the leader or the tape carrier loop.

5 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures PATENTED 3.794.254

saw 6 [IF 7 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to machines and apparatus for reading-out data from a tape carrier and, more particularly, it relates to a device for winding and unwinding a tape carrier.

Devices for winding and unwinding a tape carrier, which have on their housing two shaft-mounted reels with cores and rims, as well as a drive mechanism for rotating at least one reel are well known.

.The tape carrier, wound in the form ofa roll onto the core of the first (supply) reel, is supplied to a machine or apparatus for reading-out data from tape carrier while being unwound, whereupon the carrier is once again wound in the form of a roll onto the second (take-up) reel. The drive mechanism provides for the rotation of the take-up reel at a variable angular velocity (according to the increase in the diameter of the roll being wound) by means of conventional devices such as a friction clutch or a winding electric motor (featuring high slip). After unwinding the tape carrier from the supply reel and winding it onto the take-up reel, the process of rewinding the tape carrier from the take-up reel to the supply reel is sometimes necessary, to which end the supply reel'can also be connected with the drive mechanism to accomplish this.

During both forward and reverse run of the tape carrier it is necessary to secure the beginning or end of the tape carrier to the reel core, for which purpose the core is usually provided with some means such as a slot, a groove or a flat spring. When using such means, the tape carrier can only be secured to the reel core manually, and the process of securing the tape of the core is difficult to automize. Due to a low rigidity and warping ofthe tape carrier, it is very difficult to ensure an automatic insertion of its end into the core groove or automatic opening of the flat spring on the core; as a result the device has to be provided with additional guide members which are to be withdrawn after the tape carrier has been automatically secured onto the reel core so as not to impede the winding process. This causes considerable complications in the design of devices intended for automatic winding and rewinding of tape carriers. 1

Endless tape carriers (with their ends joined together to form a closed loop) have no special charging end (leader) which could be secured onto the core ofa con ventional reel without being damaged, thus rendering it impossible to use such reels for winding and unwinding endless loops. g

The known reels used for winding and unwinding endless tape carriers and adapted to engage the tape loop have a pin to engage the tape, the pin being controlled from a cam. This design has a number of drawbacks, including insufficient reliability that the tape loop will become engaged by'the pin, the danger of the tape being crumpled by the pin moving across the tape and of the failure of the pin to release the tape loop in time, and the failure of the reel being fixed accurately with an open pin at the moment immediately preceding the engagement of the tape loop.

In the course of the reel rotation, the rims, that are joined to the core rigidly or elastically, rotate as well. In order to reduce the weight of the reel, as well as the moment of inertia of its mass, the rims thereof are usually manufactured from a thin material and feature a plurality of holes made therein. This causes low rigidity of the rims and the possibility of their bending which, during the reel rotation, is likely to bring about axial play in the rims and inhibit the process of winding and unwinding the tape carrier. This disadvantage is especially characteristic of large reels, that is, those featuring a large rim diameter. These shortcomings are further aggravated by serious technological difficulties in manufacturing rims of large diameter, as well as by the necessity of increasing the overall dimensions of the whole device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to develop a device for winding and unwinding a tape carrier which makes it possible to automatically secure a tape carrier onto the reel core in, both regular tapes and those joined in a closed loop.

The object of the present invention is attained by that the core of at least one reel is made of at least two parts, one of which is rigidly attached to the rims of the reel and the other is pivoted to one of its ends to engage a radial cam located on the device housing and having a profile consisting of a cylindrical portion concentric with the reel shaft and a working recess disposed at a tangent to said cylindrical portion so that the movable part of the core is only opened when the reel rotates in the direction in which the tape carrier is unwound.

It is likewise expedient that a movable lever be mounted on the housing of the device which, upon its interaction with the pivoted member of the reel core, disconnects the drive mechanism of the device.

It is also feasible that the device be provided with a movable guide member connected to the shaft so that, upon reversing the shaft rotation, it acts to open or close the working recess of the cam and effects the connection and disconnection of the drive mechanism of the other shaft.

A further embodiment of the device of the invention is feasible in which the cam serves as one of the reel rims.

It is also expedient that the cam, serving as the reel rim, with the other reel rim being provided with a cutout on the side of the other reel of the device.

The use of the present invention helps fully automize the process of winding and unwinding the tape carrier, both regular and those joined in an endless loop, and will increase the reliability of the device operation, as well as simplify the process of manufacturing the device and reduce the overall dimensions in the case of using large reels.

The present invention will be better understood upon consideration of the following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments thereof, with due reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS in accordance with the second embodimentof the present invention (general view);

FIG. 3 illustrates the reel of the disclosed device for winding and unwinding the tape carrier, with the core open to receive the leader of the tape carrier (side view with partial extraction of one of the rims);

FIG. 4 illustrates the reel device of the tape carrier,

following the entrapment of the leader of the tape carrier;

FIG. 5 illustrates the reel device of the tape carrier from which a section taken along line V-V of FIG. 3; FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of the device for winding andunwinding the tape carrier according to the present invention (side view with one of the rims partially cut away);

FIG. 7 illustrates a general view of the cam of the device according to the invention and various positions of the pin cooperating with said cam;

FIG. 8 illustrates the cam of FIG. 7 with a movable lever;

FIG. 9 illustrates the cam of FIG. 7 with an additional movable guide member;

FIG. 10 shows an embodiment of the device for winding and unwinding the tape carrier, according to the present invention, in which the cam serves as one of the reel rims (side view);

FIG. 11 illustrates the winding device from which a section taken on the line XI-XI of FIG. 10; and

FIG. 12 (a, b, c, d, e,f) shows the operating steps of the reels of the device for winding and unwinding the tape carrier shown in FIG. 2 in the process of simultaneous winding, unwinding and rewinding the tape carrier joined in an endless loop from one reel to another.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The device for winding and unwinding a tape carrier, according to the present invention, will be described herein with references mentioned to its application in the apparatus for readingout the data from a tape carrier, shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings.

The apparatus shown in FIG. I comprises a read-out unit 1 with inlet guides or drive rollers 2 and outlet guides or drive rollers 3 and a disclosed device 4 for winding and unwinding a tape carrier 5.

The device 4 comprises reels 6 and 7 of symmetrically mounted, respectively, on shafts 8 and 9, the whose direction of rotation is shown with arrows. In this particular embodiment ofthe device 4 for winding and unwinding the tape carrier 5, the shafts 8 and 9 having reels 6 and 7 mounted thereon are encased in individual housings l0 and 11 respectively. A drive mechanism for rotating at least one of the reels 6 and 7 is of conventional type and is not shown in the draw- Shown diagrammatically in FIG. 2 is another version of an apparatus intended for reading-out data from the tape carrier 5, in which the device 4 of the invention comprises reels 6 and 7 mounted on shafts 8 and 9 and encased in a common housing 12. After the tape carrier 5 has been unwound from the reel 7 and wound onto the reel 6, often it is necessary to rewind the tape carrier 5 at which time the sense of rotation of the shafts 8 and 9, as well as of the rollers 2 and 3, are changed in the opposite direction as compared with that shown by said arrows.

The versions of apparatus, shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, are typical of magnetic tape recorders, motion picture projectors, programming devices, computers, that is, of apparatus characterized by a repeated transport of tape carriers such as magnetic tape, motion picture film, and punched paper tape.

The device 4 of the invention for winding and unwinding the tape carrier 5 helps automize the operation of securing the end of thetape carrier 5 in the reels 6 and 7 in the apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The device shown in FIG. 1 is designed to be used with the tape carrier 5 whose ends have not been joined in an endless loop, and the continuous automatic operation is possible with device 4 by alternately reversing the sense of movement of the tape carrier 5. It is especially suitable to use the device 4 in the apparatus version shown in FIG. 2, wherein the device 4 permits, in particular, the use of a tape carrier 5 that has been joined to form an endless loop and provides for the possibility of repeatedly transporting the tape through the readout unit 1 without rewinding and recharging same, as well as without reversing the movement of the tape carrier 5 of the read-out unit 1.

Each of the reels 6 and 7 (cf., FIGS. 1 and 2) comprises a core and rims. Note should be made of the fact that the disclosed device 4 for winding-and unwinding the tape carrier 5 has reels 6 and 7 of symmetric design. Therefore, the specific embodiment of the device 4 will be described hereinbelow with reference to reel 7 (cf., FIG. 3) alone.

The reel 7 comprises rims 13 and 14 (the latter being shown in the drawing with partial cut away view) and a core made up oftwo arcuate members 15 and 16 (for convenience, one of said members will be referred to as the stationary member and the other as the movable flapped one). The rims l3 and 14 are rigidly connected by means of bolts 17 with the stationary member 15 of the core to which the movable flap member 16 of the core is pivotable by means of an axle I8. Said movable flap member is provided with a pin 19 on which a roll 20 is set. In order to assure the mobility of the movable flap member 16 of the core, the rim 13 is provided with an arc-shaped slot 21 inside of which the pin 19 can move. The flap member 16 of the core is also provided with a flat spring 22 screwed thereto by a screw 23. The end of the spring 22 is located near a lip 24 of the flat memberl6 of the core so as to make contact with the lip 25 of the stationary member 15 of the core uponclosing the flap member 16. The rim 13 is also provided with asleeve 26 for setting the reel 7 on the shaft 9 and with holes 27 for the connection of the reel 7 to the drive mechanism (not shown in the drawing).

' The design of the reel 7 disclosed hereinabove makes for a convenient and reliable entrapment for the leader of the tape carrier 5 supplied to it through the rollers 2 from the read-out unit 1 (FIG. 1), as shown in FIG. 4. Furthermore, it is also possible to provide the core of the reels 6 and 7 with two arcuate flap members pivotable on both ends of the stationary member 15 of the core to provide for a still more reliable entrapment of the leader, thus keeping the latter from bending in an upward direction and from slipping past the open core of the reel 7.

FIG. 5 illustrates, via a. section taken on the line VV (FIG. 3), the design of the reel 7 mounted on the shaft 9 (FIG. 1) of the device 4 for winding and unwinding the tape carrier 5. The reel 7 is held on the shaft 9 by means of a conventional catch member 28 (FIG. 5) capable, owing to the provision of a groove 29, of moving and rotating relative to a pin 30 made fast in the slot of the shaft 9. The catch member 28 is held in position by a spring-biased ball 31 acted upon by a spring 32 located in the axial opening of the shaft 9 One of the openings 27 (FIG. 3) of the rim 13 (FIG. 5) receives a pin 33 attached to a sleeve 34 rigidly connected to the shaft 9 by means of a pin 35. As a result, the rim 13 together with the stationary arcuate member of the core and the rim 14 are rigidly connected to the shaft 9. The latter is made fast in the housing I] of the device 4 with the aid of a sleeve 36 (FIG. 5) with ball bearings 37 and 38 heldin the sleeve 36 by an expanding ring39 and a spacer 40 placed on the shaft 9 between them. In its turn, the sleeve 36 is secured to the housing I] of the device 4 (FIG. 1) by screws 41 (FIG. 5). The shaft 9 is set to rotation bythe drive mechanism of the device 4 (FIG. 1) through intermediary gear 42 (FIG. 5) attached to the shaft 9 and connected thereto by means of a pin 43.

Another embodiment-embodiment of the reel 6 is shown in FIG. 6 in which lips 44 and 45 of the stationary member 15 and of the flap member 16' of the core have a convex and concave shape, respectively. Owing to the intrinsic rigidity ofthe tape carrier 5, it may be well clamped between said curvilinear lips 44 and 45 even in the absence of the spring 22 (FIG. 3). In its other aspects, the design of the reel is analogous to that shown in FIG. 3.

The movable member 16 of the core of the reel 7 (FIG. 3), by means of the pin 19 with the roll set thereon, cooperates with a means arranged on the housing 11 (FIG. 1) of the device 4 and is adapted for the opening and closingof the core of the reel 7 depending upon the direction of the reel rotation. The device 4 for winding and unwinding the tape carrier 5 is provided with means for opening and closing the core ofthe reel 7 which is fashioned as a radial cam 46 (FIG. 5).

FIG. 7 illustrates the configuration of the radial cam 46 and its cooperation with the roll 20 set on the pin 19 (FIG. 3) of the flap member 16 of the core of the reel 7. The profile of the cam 46 (FIG. 7) consists of a cylindrical portion 47 concentric with the shaft 9 and a working recess 48 whose size is sufficient for the roll 20 to enter said recess. The contact of the roll 20 with the profile of the cam 46,- as well as the opening of the core of the reel 7 (FIG. 3), is effected by the inertia behind the flap member 16 of the core. Furthermore, an embodiment is also feasible in which said contacting of the roll 20 and the opening of the core are effected under the action of a special draw spring serving to connect the stationary and flap members 15 and 16 of the core.

The radial cam 46 (FIG. 5) is secured to the housing 11 of the device 4 (FIGrl) by means of screws 49 (FIG. 5) so that the cylindrical portion 47 of its profile is concentric with the axis of the shaft 9. The position and shape of the working recess 48 of the profile of the cam 46 provides for the fullest possible opening of the core for the convenient and reliable entry of the tape carrierS (FIG. 3).

The herein-disclosed device 4 (FIG. 1) for winding and unwinding the tape carrier 5 is also provided with a movable lever serving to ensure an automatic disconnection of the drive mechanism of the device 4 in case the tape carrier is not entrapped in the core of the reel 7. A specific embodiment of the lever is shown in FIG. 8. The lever 50 is mounted on the housing ll (FIG. I) of the device 4 and is capable of turning about an axle 51 (FIG. 8) in a space 52 (FIG. 5) between the housing II and the radial cam 46. The preferred position of the lever 50 (FIG. 8) on the housing 11 (FIG. I) is such that one of its ends contacts a miero-toggle switch 53 (FIG. 8) provided, for example, in the electric circuit supplying the drive mechanism of the device 4 (FIG. I), while the other end is an extension ofthe cylindrical portion 47 (FIG. 8) in the area of transition of the cylindrical portion 47 into the working recess 48. In order to avoid false disconnection, it is expedient that the end of the lever 50 in contact with the roll 20 be removed a small distance 5 from said cylindrical portion 47 of the cam profile. The distance 6 is selected to make contact between the lever 50 and roll 20 only in case the core does not grip the tape carrier 5 (FIG. 4) and when the flap member 16 of the core does not hold the tensioned side of the tape carrier 5 being wound-on.

The tape carriers 5 of some apparatus move intermittently that is a pulsed manner, and not continuously. While so doing, a situation may arise when the reel 7, once having started the winding of the tape carrier 5, has to stop without accomplishing the necessary one'or two turns required for winding the coils of the tape carrier 5 and keeping the flap member 16 of the core from opening. This case is illustrated in FIG. 7 which shows position I of the roll 20 which is likely to occur upon halting the reel 7 (FIG. 4). Since neither the profile of the cam 46 (FIG. 7) nor the turns of the wound-on tape carrier 5 (FIG. 4) can, in this case, hold the flap member 16 of the core, the latter member can open to let the entrapped leader (or the resilient loop, in the case where the tape carrier 5 is joined in an endless loop) escape from inside the core.

In order to avoid this, the cam 46 (FIG. 7) is additionally provided with a movable guide member whose embodiment is shown in FIG. 9. The guide member 54 is frictionally coupled with the shaft 9 by means of a clamp 55', said clamp 55 being secured to the portion of the shaft 9 inside the spacer52 (FIG. 5). The movement of the guide member 54 (FIG. 9) inside the space 52 (FIG. 5) is limited by stops 56 (FIG. 9) and 57 attached on the housing 11 (FIG. 5) and arranged relative to each other so as to provide for the closing of the working recess of the cam profile upon the shift of the guide member 54 (FIG. 9) over to the stop 57 and for the opening of said recess upon a reverse shift of the guide member back to the stop 56. The forces of friction developed by'the clamp 55 can be adjusted by means of a screw 58 with a spring 59 set thereon, due

to the fact that the upper portion of the clamp 55 having an opening for its mounting on the shaft 9 is further provided with a slot 60 passing through said opening. A bracket member 61 is attached to the upper portion of the clamp 55 contacting a microswitch 62 when the guide member 54 contacts the stop 56. The microswitch 62 incorporated in the electric supply circuit of the drive mechanism of the adjacent reel 6 (FIG. I) is secured to the housing I1 so as to enable the bracket 61 (FIG. 9) to make and break contact with the microswitch 62 during the shift of the clamp 55 from one extreme position to the other.

7 Some apparatus, particularly motion picture projectors, use large tape carriers rolls (FIG. 2), of 4,000

-m. long and over.' The reels of such an apparatus feature rims of large diameter, which leads to an increased mass and moment of inertia of the reel, as well as the overall dimensions of the device for winding and unwinding the tape carrier 5, which adds to complications in the startup and halting process and increases the danger of breaking the tape carrier 5.

In order to provide for a more convenient mounting for the reel sleeve 26 (FIG. 3) onto the shaft 9, as well as for matching the pin 33 (FIG. 5) with one of the openings 27 (FIG. 3) in the rim 13, in the device for winding and unwinding the tape carrier, shown in FIG. 10, a cam serves as one of the rims of the reel. A device 63 for winding and unwinding a tape carrier 64 comprises two reels 65 and 66 of symmetric design mounted on axles 67 and 68. Each of the reels 65 and 66 comprises two stationary rims 69, 70 and 71, 72 and a core. The structural embodiment of the cores of the reels 65 and 66 is shown in FIG. 3 and 6. The reels 65 and 66 are kept from axial displacement by shackles 73 and 74 provided on the axles 67 and 68 above the rims 69 and 71 and adapted to enter slots made in said axles. The rims 69, 70 and 71, 72 of the reels 65 and 66 are rendered immovable by guide pins 75 and 76 made fast on a housing (not shown in the drawing) of the device 63, which pins serve, at the same time, to facilitate the setting of the reels 65 and 66 on the axles 67 and 68. In addition, the rims 69, 70 of the reel 65 and 71', 72 of the reel 66 are connected by upper and lower paired spacers 78, 79, 80 and 81. Rollers 82 and 83 are provided on the lower spacers 80 and 81 of the reels 65 and 66 for convenient movement of the body over the latter reels. Graduation notches 84 provided on the surface of the rims 69 and 71 help determine the available capacity of the roll of the tape carrier 64. To avoid friction of the tape carrier 64 against the stationary rims 69, 70, 71 and 72,'it may be passed through two pairs of guide rolls 85 and 86 attached to the housing (not shown) and arranged between the rims 69, 70, 71 and 72 so as to provide for ease of movement of the tape carrier 64 which should not contact said rims 69, 70, 71 and 72. As seen in FIG. 10, the whole tape carrier 64 is wound in a roll onto the core of the reel 66. The core of the reel 65 is shown open (FIG. with its flap member 87 and a pin 88 secured thereon and turned relative on an axle 89. The control over the flap member 87 of the core is effected with the aid of a radial cam 90 serving on a stationary rim 70. Seen in FIG. 9 is a working recess 91 of the profile of the cam 90 with the pin 88 fastened therein. 7

The reel 65 is shown in FIG. 11 in a section taken along line XI-XI of FIG. 10. The rotating core of the reel 65 is connected to the stationary rims 69 and 70 by means of ball bearings 92. The ball bearings 92 are secured by an inner ring on the sleeve 93 set on the axle 67 and is rigidly coupled to the rim 69 by screws 94. The outer rings of the ball bearings 92 are mounted in a sleeve 95 which set on the sleeve 93 and rigidly coupled with the core by screws 96. The sleeve 95 and the core are caused to rotate by a pin 97 secured to gear 98 set on the axle 67 and is rotated by means ofa drive mechanism or a separate electric motor via gear 99.

The gear 98 rotates relative to the axle 67 in ball bearings 100. The shaft of the gear 99 is housed in a bearing 101. The axle 67 and the bearing 101 are fastened to 8 the housing 77 of thedevice 63 (FIG. 10) by screws 102 (FIG. 11).

The cam of the device 63 (FIG. 10), serving'as one of the rims of the reel, along with the second rim are provided with a cut-out on the side of the second reel. FIG. 10 illustrates the reels 65 and 66 with the rims 69, 70, 71 and 72 provided with cut-outs 103 and 104 on the adjacent side of the reel which makes for easy removal from the axles 67 and 68 of full reel 66 or empty reel 65.

The embodiment of the device 63, shown in FIG. 10, is most suitable for use in a motion picturc projector intended for projectinga complete motion picture program.

Discussed hereinbelw is the. operation of the device 4 for winding and unwinding the tape carrier 5 with reference to the apparatus shown in FIG. 2, using the tape carrier 5 joined to form an endless loop.

Presented in FIG. 12 are successive steps in the operation of the device 4 (FIG. 2). The reel 7, whose design has been described in detail hereinabove, and the reel 6 featuring a design similar to that of the reel 7, are shown in FIG. 12 schematically as cores with flap members 16 and rims 13. The device 4 is additionally provided with inlet 2 and outlet 3 guides or drive rollers for the tape carrier 5. During step (a) the reel 6 in the waiting position, with its core open. The tape carrier 5 is double-wound (i.e., in two layers) in the form of a' roll onto the reel 7, while the middle of the tape'carrier 5 isbrought inside the closed core in the form of a loop C. As a result, two sides of the tape carrier 5, P and H, extend outside the roll of the reel 7. The side P is directed from device 4 to the read-out unit 1 (FIG. 2) and the end, at the outlet therefrom, is joined together with the side H (FIG. 12) supplied once again to the device 4 for'winding. Thus, thetape carrier 5 is joined in an endless loop and wound onto the reel 7 .in the form of a double roll as shown in FIG. 12'.

As the P side of the tape carrier 5 is supplied to the read-out unit 1 (FIG. 2), the reel 7 starts rotating counterclockwise, as shown with an arrow in step (b). When the H side (FIG. 12) of the tape carrier 5'is fed from the read-out unit 1 (FIG. 2) to the device 4'it can no longer be wound onto the reel 7 (owing to the rotation of the latter in the opposite direction) and thus forms a free loop S which, under the effect of intrinsic resilience, is directed towards the open core of the reel 6. After a certain periodof time, when the reel 7 has turned counterclockwise through an angle at which the clamp 55 (FIG. 9) shifts until thrust against the stop 56 and when the loop S reaches required dimensions, the clamp 55 acts to actuate the microswitch 62 in the supply circuit of the drive mechanism of the reel 6 (FIG, 12) and the latter starts rotating counterclockwise. The flap member 16 of the core of the reel 6, with the pin 19 secured thereon, then starts turning in said direction and the pin 19 with the roll 20 (FIG. 4) set thereon moves out of the working recess 48 (FIG. 7) of the profile of the cam 46. The 'core of the reel 6 (FIG. 12) is shut thereby commencing the operation of winding the tape carrier 5 onto the reel 6. When so doing, one or two turns of the reel 6 winding the coils of the tape carrier 5 is enough to prevent the core from opening. FIG. 7 shows various positions of the roll 20 in the course of winding or unwinding the tape carrier 5 (FIG. 2). When the roll 20 (FIG. 7) is in positions II to IV, the core of the reel 6 (FIG. 2) is closed; if the roll 20 is in position V, the core starts to open; and when the roll 20 is in position VI the core is fully open. As shown in the subsequent operating step (c) (FIG. 12), the tape carrier is wound onto the reel 6 in two sides (doublewound), one of which layers, H, is supplied from the read-out unit 1 (FIG. 2), and the other side, K (FIG. 12) directly from the reel 7 from which the roll is also unwound in two layers, i.e., via side K the tape carrier 5 is supplied directly to the reel 6 and via side P to the read-out unit 1 (FIG. 2).

After the double-wound roll has been unwound from the reel 7, its core is openand the reel 7 assumes the waiting position, as shown in step (d) similar to that already described in step (a). Now, the tape carrier 5 (FIG. 12) is supplied to the read-out unit 1 (FIG. 2) via side P not from the reel 7 but from the reel 6 which changes the sense of its rotation automatically under the effect of the tape carrier 5 and starts unwinding.

The thus formed loop C (step e), owing to the intrinsic resilience of the tape carrier 5, penetrates inside the open core of the reel 7 which, after a certain period of time, starts rotating, shuts the core and winds the tape carrier 5 in two sides H and K (step f). Characteristically, displaced via the side K is that portion of the tape carrier 5 which, prior to the transition of winding to the reel 7, was woundonto the reel 6 via side H after having passed the read-out unit 1 (FIG. 2), while side P (FIG. 12) of the tape carrier 5 supplied to the readout unit 1 (FIG. 2) is wound onto the reel 6 through the side K (FIG. 12). Therefore, the side K is the one being rewound and the process of rewinding (return of the tape carrier 5 to the starting point) is effected automatically and simultaneously with the working motion of the tape carrier 5.

As seen from the description of the operating steps ofthe device 4, shown in FIG. 12, the process of simultaneous winding and rewinding of the tape carrier 5 joined in an endless loop can be carried out continuously for any given period of time.

In case of an emergency, for example, if the tape car rier 5 is not gripped by the core, or is loaded incorrectly or breaks, the actuation of the device 4 is undesirable or impermissible for the empty reel 6 or 7, as the rotation in the winding direction in an attempt to open up may produce strong knocking and can bring about bending or breakage of the roll (FIG. 3). This is avoided by operation of the movable lever 50 (FIG. 8) mounted on the housing 11 (FIG. 1) of the device 4. At the moment of contact of the lever 50 (FIG. 8) with the roll 20, which is only possible in case of emergency, the lever 50 turns to disconnect by the micro-toggle switch 53 of the electric supply of the drive mechanism of the device 4 (FIG. 1).

The operation of the device 63 shown in FIG. 10 is analogous to that of the device 4 (FIG. 2). The only difference is that the rims 69,70, 71 and 72 (FIG. 10) of the reels 65 and 66 are rigidly attached to the axles 67 and 68 which are stationary.

We claim:

l. A device for winding and unwinding a tape carrier. comprising: a housing; shafts secured in said housing; drive means to rotate said shafts; a reel mounted on each of said shafts, and having a core and first and second rims, said core of at least one reel being composed of at least two parts, one part of which is rigidly attached to said rim, the other part being pivotally attached to one of the ends of said one part; pin means fixed on said other part; a radial cam means secured on said housing to engage said pin means for opening and closing said core depending on the direction of rotation of said at least one reel and fixing the latter with the pivoted part of its core open, said radial cam means contacting said pin means and having a cylindrical portion concentric with the axisof that shaft of said shafts carrying said at least one reel and a working recess arranged at a tangent to said cylindrical portion so that said pivoted part of said core is opened and said at least one reel is fixed in position with its core open only when said at least one reel rotates in the direction in which said tape carrier is unwound.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a movable lever means is installed in said housing and adapted to disconnect said drive means when said lever is engaged by the pivoted part of said core.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1, which is provided with a movable guide member connected to one of said shafts so that, upon reversing the shaft rotation, said guide member acts to open and close said working recess of said cam means and effects the connection and disconnection of said drive means of another one of said shafts.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cam means serves as one of said rims of said reel.

5. A device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said cam means, and said second rim are provided with a cut-out on the side facing said other reel. 

1. A device for winding and unwinding a tape carrier, comprising: a housing; shafts secured in said housing; drive means to rotate said shafts; a reel mounted on each of said shafts, and having a core and first and second rims, said core of at least one reel being composed of at least two parts, one part of which is rigidly attached to said rim, the other part being pivotally attached to one of the ends of said one part; pin means fixed on said other part; a radial cam means secured on said housing to engage said pin means for opening and closing said core depending on the direction of rotation of said at least one reel and fixing the latter with the pivoted part of its core open, said radial cam means contacting said pin means and having a cylindrical portion concentric with the axis of that shaft of said shafts carrying said at least one reel and a working recess arranged at a tangent to said cylindrical portion so that said pivoted part of said core is opened and said at least one reel is fixed in position with its core open only when said at least one reel rotates in the direction in which said tape carrier is unwound.
 2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a movable lever means is installed in said housing and adapted to disconnect said drive means when said lever is engaged by the pivoted part of said core.
 3. A device as claimed in claim 1, which is provided with a movable guide member connected to one of said shafts so that, upon reversing the shaft rotation, said guide member acts to open and close said working recess of said cam means and effects the connection and disconnection of said drive means of another one of said shafts.
 4. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cam means serves as one of said rims of said reel.
 5. A device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said cam means, and said second rim are provided with a cut-out on the side facing said other reel. 